Midlife Love Story

“It’s not appropriate Carlotta. You’re over forty and unmarried. People will start to wonder about your proclivities.”

My proclivities, he’d said, and I’d rolled my eyes. “I don’t give a damn what people think about my proclivities. Half of your friends are in loveless marriages, more than half if I’m being honest, and I’d rather be alone than stuck with a man I can’t stand.”

I knew my parents wanted the best for me, the only problem I have with that is that they want for me what they think is right for me, not what I actually want. They just want me to marry some wealthy man so they can stop worrying about me, it’s not actually about me. Since I turned forty a few years back, Mama and Daddy had increased their pressure, and I had to push back even harder.

“You sure you don’t wanna talk about it?” Grady stood in front of me with another mint julep in his big hands, worry in his blue eyes as he slid the drink my way.

I shook my head. “I’m sure, and I’m fine, thanks. Really, I am. Mostly I am just annoyed as hell, and I don’t want to talk about it because it only increases my annoyance.” I sighed and tried for a smile. “What’s new with you Grady?” He was handsome, and his lush red beard only made my mind wander to another red head.

He let out an amused laughed, his gaze never wavered, not even when a group of hot twentysomethings strolled in, a cloud of giggles and cigarette smoke surrounding them. “Nothing. Got some new booze in, as you already know. I’m renovating my game room at my house, and that’s about it.” It was difficult to imagine a guy like Grady who owned a bar and had an arm full of tattoos owning a house.

I nodded. “Are you seeing anyone?”

“No,” he growled, a deep, low, masculine sound. “You asking?”

I sighed and shook my head, wishing I had the guts to go after a guy like Grady, but the truth was he scared me. “Just making conversation. What do you do Grady, when you’re not making drinks and dispensing advice?”

“Lots of outdoor activities. Hiking and skiing. Drinking and women.” He grinned on the last two, as if they were obvious choices.

I smiled back. “Sounds exciting. I’ve skied once, but that’s it, and it was an awful time. Is hiking fun? Have you ever tried rock climbing?” Grady’s life actually sounded wonderful. He was under no obligations, no pressure from others to find a wife and have kids. “How old are you Grady?”

His lips twitched in amusement. “Thirty-one.”

“Wow, that young?” I couldn’t believe he was basically a baby. “Do your parents ever get on you about settling down?”

“All the time,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “I tell them the more they harp on me, the longer I’ll stay single out of spite.

I laughed at his brilliant strategy. “Does that actually work?”

He nodded. “For a few weeks anyway.”

I laughed again. “Maybe I should try that.”

“You definitely should, it’ll shut them right up. Unless of course, you have some trust fund that’s dependent on you walking down the aisle and pushing out a baby before forty.”

My smile brightened. “Well, well, look who’s trying to get a bigger tip with the compliments. It’s totally working, another mint julep, please.” I mulled over Grady’s advice while I sipped my cocktail, thinking about the state of my life. I was single, sure, but I also had a great career, a beautiful home and really good friends. My life was good. It was fine, more than fine, even. Would I love to find a good man to share my life with? Absolutely, but it wasn’t a priority. I wanted the right man, not just any man. “To shutting up the naysayers,” I offered a little louder than necessary as I raised my glass a few seconds too late.

Grady smirked at me as he reached under the bar and produced a bottle of water. “Fuck those naysayers,” he added and crashed his plastic bottle against my glass.

“Exactly,” I agreed and took another, slow sip. The icy liquid slid down my throat and the delicious mint flavor soothed my frazzled nerves. Some, anyway. “Hey Grady, would you be willing to rent this place out for events?” The bar was a little rough around the edges, but it had a certain charm that would be perfect for very specific events.

I sensed his hesitation before my gaze found his. “I never thought about it to be honest with you.”

“Well I don’t have anything lined up, but I’d love of it if you thought about it. Figure out what you would like to make for an open bar, and for bar service, with or without bartenders provided by you or a catering service.”

“No one works behind my bar but me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, then.”

“You really think people would want to rent this place for events?” His surprise was evident, which was strange because he seemed to love this place.

“I do. Bachelor and bachelorette parties for one, retirement parties, divorce parties, all kinds of events that don’t need to be so fancy. I think I could sell it, so you know, let me know.”

He nodded and ambled down to the other side of the bar where a small group was waving money to get his attention. He worked hard and he didn’t deserve that kind of attitude, but it didn’t seem to bother him, so I calmly sipped my drink.

I played with the idea of having another mint julep, but I decided to just head home. Alone, as usual.

“Anything else, Carlotta?”